Scottsdale considers closing Loloma Transit Center

It was built to be a gateway to downtown Scottsdale and a hub for taxis, shuttles, buses, even horse-drawn carriages.

An aerial view of the Loloma Transit Center, at Second Street and Marshall Way, shows concentric rings that radiate across the ticket kiosk and vanish past the clock tower at the north.

Transportation officials are taking a hard look at shuttering the bus depot that doubles as public art, because Scottsdale faces a $20 million budget shortfall in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

City staff made the argument to close Loloma at a recent Scottsdale Transportation Commission meeting. A permanent closure, where the property would be sold at a later date, would save the city about $275,000. A temporary closure, where staff continues to maintain the grounds and keep some utilities on, would save about $255,000, officials said.

The recommendation is that even if the city doesn't put the property up for immediate sale, officials could still do a full closure of the facility, said David Meinhart, Scottsdale's transportation director.

Meinhart did not rule out leasing the facility, but "the structure itself is not designed for easy use as an office," he said.

"The walls are not rectangular. It's a very unique space."

A small police beat station and some administration functions on the 3,300-square-foot property would be moved to another location.

Loloma used to serve as a transfer point for four bus routes. Last year, Scottsdale eliminated Route 66, and Route 76, which serves Miller Road, no longer stops at Loloma.

That left Routes 72 and 41.

Eliminating the Route 41 Loloma stop would save 13,000 miles, while Route 72 would save 26,000 miles, Madeline Clemann, city transit supervisor, said. Also, it would save passengers 12 minutes of ride time by not having to enter the depot.

The trolley stops that allow riders to board on the east side of Marshall Way would continue, Clemann said.

When the depot was built in 1997 at a cost of $3 million, city officials promised Loloma would serve more than just bus riders. It would be a place where families gathered for picnics and free concerts.

"It had a lot of potential when it was designed," Clemann said.

Now, the bicycle storage lockers are closed to keep transients out. The swamp coolers in the waiting areas no longer work. The fare sales window sells 30 to 50 fares per day and about 270 transit users board a bus per day.